Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Travel Made Easy

Lucie and Sam's birthdays were just here, and in typical Tracy fashion...I was late getting their presents out to them. Lucie and Sam are Erin's, from A Bird and A Bean, kids. Love those little frogs! ANYHOO, I knew they were going to be hitting the wide open road for the 4th, so I made them these travel trays. I also made sure they got there before they left...THEY DID! Whew! This idea had been playing around in my mind for a while because we went on a family trip a couple of weeks ago. I made some similar trays, but Cash and Luc turned out to be my trial testers. Afterward, I knew I had to make some modifications for more usage.

Cookie trays seemed to be a great option because: A.) They are stackable B.) They are only a buck at the Dollar Tree C) They can be used for MULTIPLE purposes...besides games/toys, they can be used when eating in the car. (VERY HANDY!)This tray is Lucie's. There are princess coloring pages and activities on one side, and crayons on the other. I got the idea for the magnets on the crayon pouch from Somewhat Simple. There's a magnet glued ( I used W6000 glue) to the clip holding the pages together, and magnets hot glued to the back of the crayon pouch. This way, they do not slip.

Underneath the activity/coloring pages is a checker board. I cut 64 1' squares of scrapbook paper (From 2 coordinating pages, 32 of each), and used Mod Podge to adhere them to tray. I then applied multiple...probably around 4-5 coats of Mod Podge on top of checker board. I finished it off with a nice even coat of clear sealant. After ransacking my buttons, I found 13 blue and 13 pink buttons, and (luckily) 26 white buttons. ( This gives an extra, just in case.) I used E6000 glue to adhere one of each to a magnet, as shown.

To keep the Checker pieces all together, I found a package of these little containers at the Dollar Tree for a $1, of course.( Great buy! I have loads of ideas for these little gems. ) I attached magnets to the back of the containers, so they stay in place during the game.

What I love about using the magnets is that you can be "Kinged" and it will stay in place while you are going 70 MPH in the car! Love it.

The last activity for Lucie was this little sticker mosaic. It, too, was only a buck at Dollar Tree. I thought it would keep her busy, and it was bedazzling. Perfect for little 4 year old girls.

Now. Sam. He's only 2, just like my Luc, and I knew it would be harder to keep his attention. I primed the tray with spray primer, then painted a road on it, and again, finished it off with a clear sealant. Two small trucks came with the gift to joy ride on the tray. This, too, came from Somewhat Simple.

Since Sam is starting to learn his letters, I thought this would be a fun way for him to show his alphabet recognition, or practice.

Of course, you can't just throw this stuff at a kid, and I knew it would be easier if it was all together, so these little bags came in handy. I used the Freezer Paper Method to make their names, and threw in some extra pencils. Also, each has a little special clothing gift inside the bag to go along with the tray.

They were fun to make, and I think they will make the trip more tolerable. Hope so! For Erin's sake, at least!!

OOO - I loved it. I can't wait to break them out while we are on the trip. I already told them Tracy sent them a present, but they can't see it until we are on the road! Mwhaha. Thanks again. They really do ROCK!

I'm just a girl who loves Jesus and cool stuff. I also happen to be a mother of two fantastic boys,and a wife to one amazing husband. I stay crazy busy being a full time teacher, a Jewel Kade stylist, and obsessed with creating new things. My family has made our world here in Chattanooga, and are trying to live out our dreams. Mine involve cooking/baking, all things crafty, arty, planty, and fashiony.This blog is a my way of holding myself accountable creatively. I'll do my best.